I once watched my bridle snap and cause the kite to start looping. I think I grabbed a handful of line and managed to crash the kite into the water and begin a self rescue. I was 3-4x anita rock near the channel and someone towed me in body dragging.

One warning I read about death loops is the placement of your leash. If you get caught in a full-powered death loop in high winds, the force is so great it will submarine you and the water force is so great you may not be able to even bring your arm around to pull it. If your leash is connected to your harness handle, you may get turned around and dragged backwards, and then reaching behind you to pull the release may be impossible.

windstoked wrote:One warning I read about death loops ... If you get caught in a full-powered death loop in high winds, the force is so great it will submarine you and the water force is so great you may not be able to even bring your arm around ...

I experienced a LONG submarine adventure during my first week as a kiteboarder (2002 in Cabarete) when one of my steering lines got stuck on my harness after a crash and made the kite loop. The speed was surprisingly fast and I had no way of reaching anything. Nearly drowned before the kite crashed and I could come up for air. It then bounced off the water, kept looping, and I got another underwater ride but there was enough time to figure out what was wrong and find a way to make the kite crash again and that time keep it in the water. Not a fun experience!